The perpetual brand

I'm in the group (and it's probably a pretty small group) who believes that it's not the end of the world for businesses to end. Take the Montreal Expos, for example. It was sad to see the Expos brand die, but it wasn't the end of the world. In fact, I think it would be a good thing for brands to self-destruct after 35-40 years. It would create room in the marketplace for completely new ideas and competition.

I dislike the New York Yankees, partly for their arrogance; partly their collection of high-priced talent. But I mostly dislike them because their brand is ubiquitous. I wouldn't mind seeing the New York Yankee brand dissolve and a different one take its place. The same goes for Coca Cola or any other number of world-stretching brands. Are we so naive to believe that a brand shouldn't have an end date? That it should be perpetual?